Short-circuit arrester



Aug. 27, 1929.

J. W. ARNETT SHORT CIRCUIT ARRESTER Filed June 17, 1927 Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN W. ARNETT, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

SHORT-CIRCUIT ARRESTER.

Application filed June 17,

My invention relates to a connecting device to be employed in electric circuits to act as a fuse box to guard against overheating from short circuit in the line.

It sometimes happens that, due to the presence of too high a load on a line, or for other reasons, a short circuit is formed in a branch line tending to heat up the wires in that branch, leading to danger of fire. When a fuse box is employed the short circuiting of one branch will usually blow the fuse and cut ofl the whole installation.

It is an object of my invention to form a connection to be placed in a light circuit, in which a fuse may be placed to guard against overheating of the wires.

It is desired that the fuse be easily accessible and capable of ready replacement when occasion requires.

It is also an object to provide a. device of the character stated which will be adapted to be placed in each branch line near the light or other operated member, so that the Whole electric installation need not be af fected by a short circuit in one branch line.

Referring to the drawings herewith Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing a light oilcuit with my invention installed thereon.

Fig. 2 is an interior view of one half of the connection. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the opposite half. Fig. 4 is a section on the plane 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar section on the plane 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a section on the plane 66 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the fuse terminals employed. Like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts in all the views.

My invention comprises a housing 1 made up of two sections one of which is adapted to be connected to the two wires of a light circuit at one end, and the other formed to receive the wires of the circuit at its other end; the sections acting, when connected to gether, to close the gap in the circuit.

The housing 1 is made of porcelain, hard rubber, or any similar insulating compost tion. It is oblong in shape and divided longitudinally into two halves 2 and 3. The meeting faces of the two sections are recessed somewhat. The section 2 has a recess extending the full length thereof except for a. central ridge 4. The ends of the wall 5 about the recess, are cut away at 6 and 6 to allow the Wires to extend therethrough for attachment to the posts 7, 7 or 8, 8.

1927. Serial No. 199,441.

The channel at one side of the ridge 4 has a strip 16' of conducting material, such as copper, connecting said posts 7 and 8 and formed to lie in said channel. Spaced somewhat from each end of said strip are hooks 9, 9, formed of the blank from which the strip is cut and integral therewith. The hook is formed by bending the material of the hook transversely across the strip as shown.

These hooks are adapted to engage with tongues 10 and 10 on strips 11 and 12 set in recesses 13 and 14 in the section 3. The strips 11 have posts 15 adjacent the end of the section. The tongues 10 are bent upwardly out of the recess and forwardly to engage beneath the hooks 9. The tongues 10 have connecting posts 16 and the tongues 10 are recurved to project forward in the same direction as the tongues 10.

The strip 16 in section 2 is a continuous strip, but the adjacent channel has the strip formed of two sections 17 and 17 separated by a recess 18. The section 17 is shown in Fig. 7. It has a hook 9 formed on the strip as are the hooks 9. The forward end of the strip is bent downwardly at 19 into the recess 18 and the sides of the downwardly bent end are curved forward toward each other, forming between them a narrow slot 20 into which the end of a fuse 21 of easily fusible material may fit.

The strip 17 is nearly identical in construction to strip 17 although it may be shorter in length so as to space the hooks at the proper point to register with and receive the tongues 10 and 10 of the opposite section.

It will be noted that the wires of the circuit may be secured to the posts 12 and 16 at the end of section 3 and the wires at the other side may be secured to the posts 7, 7 of section 2. When the connection between the two halves of the casing is made by engaging the tongues 10 and 10 of section 3 beneath the hooks 9 and 9 upon the section 2, the movement longitudinally of the sections in the proper directions will latch the tongues beneath the hooks and serve not only to connect the sections together but also to complete the circuit including the fuse 21.

The use of a fuse box in a circuit of this character makes it possible to guard against overheating and resulting fire due to shorting of a circuit. A fuse which burns out can conveniently and quickly be replaced and the other branches of an electric installation Will not be affected. Individual connections of this character may be installed in each branch at slight expense. The advantages of such a construction will be obvious. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a casing of insulating material split longitudinally into two halves, the meeting faces of said halves being recessed, conducting strips in one half having transverse hooks thereon, tongues of conducting material on the other half adapted to engage beneath said hooks, and means to secure the tongues on one end of one half to the wires of a circuit, and means to connect the strips'at the opposite end of the other half to the wires oi a continuation of said circuit in the manner described. 7

2. In a device of the character described, a casing of insulating material split longitudinally into two halves, the meeting faces of said halves being recessed, conducting strips in one half having transverse hooks thereon, a fusible link'in one of said strips, means detachably connecting said link in position, tongues of conducting material on the other half adapted to engage beneath said hooks, and means to secure the tongues on one end of one half to the Wires of a circuit, and means to connect the strips at the I opposite .end of the other half to the wires of a continuation of said circuit in the manner described.

3. In a device of the character described, a casing of insulating material longitudinally divided into two halves, conducting strips in one of said halves, a fusible link in one of said strips, strips of conducting material at each end of the second half, said casing being adapted to be connected into a gap in an electric circuit, means at one end of one section. connected to the wires of said circuit and means to connect the strips at the other end of the other. section to the other wires and means on said conducting strips to latch said halves together and. close said circuit.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 14th day of June A. D. 1927.

JOHN W. ARNETT. 

